1. THE URBAN VISION BULLETIN:
Special Feature : EcoCities : Driving India towards the age of sustainability.
Urban Form Sustainable Next Generation Climate Change Building
Buildings Urbanization Forums Livable Cities :
$JHQGD October 2010
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Common Future cally productive land or food stocks. In a persistent manner, urban
sprawl continually consumes rural agricultural tracts, which in turn
forces the displaced agriculturists to convert forestlands into farms,
increasing deforestation and permanently altering the landscape.
$QWKURSRFHQWULF SROOXWLRQ KDV D GHVWUXFWLYH HIIHFW RQ WKH SODQHW UH-
“We have seen the enemy and he is us” sulting in global climate change and freak weather conditions. Urban
Pogo by Walt Kelly. GHYHORSPHQW DOVR VLJQL¿FDQWO LPSDFWV HDUWK¶V KGURORJLFDO FFOHV
OLNH WKH ÀRZ DQG VWRUDJH RI ZDWHU DV ZHOO DV WKH TXDOLW RI DYDLO-
able fresh water.Experts predict that if current trends in population
In over 10,000 years of existence, human civilization has progres- growth and land use continue, by 2050 the amount of available ar-
sively become a potent environmental threat. With the onset of agriculture able land will be just over one-tenth of a hectare per person which
8,000 years ago, we started to alter the natural landscape and with indus- WUDQVODWHV WR D IXWXUH ZLWK VLJQL¿FDQW VKRUWDJHV RI IRRG VWRFNV
trialization we began to change our atmosphere. In the present-day, popu-
lation explosion human progress, which has become synonymous to “… We do not inherit the earth
XUEDQL]DWLRQ KDV DPSOL¿HG WKH FRQVHTXHQFH RI RXU DFWLYLWLHV $OWKRXJK
WKHUH LV D GH¿QLWH FRQQHFWLRQ UHODWLQJ QDWLRQDO OHYHO RI HFRQRPLF GHYHORS- from our ancestors; we borrow it
ment and urbanization- with cities steering a country’s progress and revo- from our children.” -Native Proverb
OXWLRQL]LQJ FRPPXQLWLHV WKURXJK ¿VFDO JURZWK DQG VHWWLQJ WKH PDVV SRSX-
lation free from poverty. Urbanization, on the other hand, also completely Practically all of earth’s ecosystems have now been destroyed or
transforms the ecosystem and contributes to environmental degradation. VHYHUHO DOWHUHG WKURXJK KXPDQ DFWLYLWLHV $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH µ:RUOG
In the coming years, we are heading towards a critical Conservation Union’, 784 extinctions have been recorded since the
human-environmental interaction. Urbanization does not only HDU WR WKH HDU

2. $W WKLV SRLQW WKH ORVV RI JOREDO ELR-
have neighboring ecological effects but also greater so-called ORJLFDO GLYHUVLW LV DGYDQFLQJ DW DQ H[WUDRUGLQDU SDFH $FFRUGLQJ WR
‘ecological footprints’ outside their local environs. Exhaus- some estimates, up to 150 species are becoming extinct every day.
tive and widespread utilization of natural resources to sustain The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007b)
urban economy has tremendous impacts on the environment. has also predicted that if temperature increases exceed 1.5-2.5°C,
Urbanization contributes to deforestation, degradation 20-30% of plant and animal species assessed are likely to be at
of atmosphere, has adverse impacts on water resources and biologi-

3. Page | 2 www.theurbanvision.com
risk of extinction. Earth as we know it might vanish. Our children WKH SRSXODWLRQ OLYLQJ LQ FLWLHV $V D UHVXOW ,QGLD KDV D WUHPHQGRXV RS-
and grand children might only be able to see plants and animals portunity to leap forward into a new urban model by learning from the
that make our world so special in videos and pictures in the future. mistakes and successes of the more urbanized geographies of the world.
Scientists say that Biodiversity loss might in the end threaten the very
existence of human civilization. Biological diversity is crucial for the
Cities are the answer!
LWLHV UHSUHVHQW ERWK WKH ¿QHVW DQG PRVW WHUULEOH DVSHFWV RI KXPDQLW WR-
life on our planet. Earth is more than just a home for 6.7 billion human
day. Today’s Cities are full of poverty, but they also offer the best way to
beings. Today we often act in a way that assumes that earth is home
rise above this challenge. Cities are important destinations of education,
only to humans. This attitude is going to threaten our very survival.
culture, commerce and economy. Cities are machines for making collabo-
The earth’s ecosystem provides for and affects the food we eat, the air we
ration easier and encourage innovation and creativity. On the other, prob-
EUHDWKH DQG WKH ZDWHU ZH GULQN $ GLYHUVLW RI DQLPDOV SODQWV DQG RWKHU
lems of overcrowding, crime, diseases and so forth are intense in cities.
organisms perform critical ecosystems functions like distribute clean wa-
In terms of Sustainability, Cities are also at the centre of the
ter to streams and rivers, hold soils together, maintain soil fertility, cycle
environmental crisis; but they represent the best way for hu-
nutrients, and shield humanity against harsh weathers conditions , pests
PDQ EHLQJ WR VKDUH UHVRXUFHV HI¿FLHQWO DQG LQ D IDLU ZD
and diseases. If we carry on losing biodiversity – Our children and grand
children will have to deal with starvation, thirst, disease and calamity.
In spite of our idealistic ideas about villages, it will be well-run,
Bio Diversity loss and Climate Change are fun-
HQHUJHI¿FLHQW FLWLHV WKDW XOWLPDWHO VDYH XV IURP RXUVHOYHV ,Q
damentally caused due to overexploitation of the
developed economies with high levels of human development
natural capital. Both demand a radical policy response.
Index - On an average people who live in small towns and villages
In many ways, the ecological footprint of an individual is embedded in
emit 50% more greenhouse gases than city folk. Taking into account
the way a city / town is built. You and I may aspire to live a sustainable
the current type of lifestyles, cities allow us to share resources and
life but the way the current social and economic structure functions might
may just be the most sustainable form of human settlements.
not allow us to. For instance, your ecological footprint will be dramati-
Sustainable cities allow its citizens to live within their fair share
cally higher , if the city that you live in doesn’t allow you to walk and
of the earth’s resources without giving up on the ‘urban’ lifestyle.
did’nt have a good mass transit that you could use; or if the apartment
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“If we can’t save our Cities, We won’t save
Can India show the way? Ourselves”- William E Rees
The future of the human civilizations is going to be largely
GH¿QHG E WKH FKDUDFWHU RI LWV IXWXUH FLWLHV 7KLV LV HVSHFLDOO LPSRU- The current set of Indian cities is evidently failing. In many ways,
WDQW WR UHÀHFW RQ DW WKLV SRLQW LQ WLPH DV KXPDQLW UHDFKHG D VSHFLDO they represent the worst aspects of urbanization. The dire and un-
milestone this century by becoming a majority urban species. In bearable conditions of our cities have been a result of piecemeal
IRU WKH YHU ¿UVW WLPH LQ RXU KLVWRU KXPDQNLQG KDV EHFRPH and small-scale interventions to gradually worsening conditions
a majority urban with more than half of the world’s population liv- over a long period of time. They are a result of a complete lack of
ing in cities. The phenomenal rate of urban growth, increasing from long term strategic thinking. I am desolately going to declare that
13% in the 1900’s to 29% in 1950, reach over 50% this decade. many of these cities will collapse in the next few decades if the cur-
Nevertheless, India is still a majority rural nation with only 30 % of UHQW WUHQG RI VKRUW WHUP DQG TXLFN ¿[ VWOH RI WKLQNLQJ FRQWLQXHV

4. Page | 3 www.theurbanvision.com
But the prospect of following this same small- scale and
short term thinking, when India gets ready to deal with an unprec-
edented rate of urban growth in the coming decades is even gloomier. How unplanned Urbanization threatens
$FFRUGLQJ WR WKH µ8QLWHG 1DWLRQV :RUOG 8UEDQL]DWLRQ 3URVSHFWV¶ WKH our future prosperity
next few decades alone will see the migration of 600 million Indians Energy Security.
moving into urban areas. India’s cities will have to deal with a massive The next generation infrastructure investments need to steer clear
LQÀX[ RI WHQV RI PLOOLRQV RI SHRSOH DW D VSHHG XQSDUDOOHOHG LQ KLVWRU of investing in private car centric road and related infrastructure
So we still have the control in our hands. We can take on ur- that will push auto dependent spawled communities. This would
banization head on; and make most of the best components that cities rep- lock our future into a model where we will be highly are dependent
resent and create a future that is inclusive, environmentally friendly and on fossil fuels. This can be disastrous for our economy given that
healthy. But if we don’t make a strategic plan to address this trend – we we currently import 70% of our petroleum.
DUH OLNHO WR EH FUHDWLQJ D JORRP IXWXUH RI VRFLDO LQHTXLW DQG FLYLO XQ- Food Security.
rest; a future of grave environmental and health crisis. Remember that Ur- Land is also a non renewable resource. We need to preserve
banization is an irreversible process. The thinking or the lack of strategic arable or bio productive land so as to ensure food in the future
thinking on our part at this point may not be visible straight away but they for all of us and the future generations. China already seems to
FDQ EH IDWDO LQ WKH ORQJ UXQ :H KDYH DOUHDG KDG WR GHDO ZLWK FRQVHTXHQF- have encountered this problem - China’s Ministry of Land and
es of unplanned growth as seen in the decaying cities of today. Let us not Resources revealed that the country has lost 8 million hectares, or
go down that failed path as we get set for the future cities of our nation. 6.6 percent, of its arable land in the past decade. If we don’t plan
our urbanization, we are likely to threaten our food security in the
The cities we erect today have the potential to either lock the society future. We need to recognize that urbanization degrades land and
LQWR GHVWUXFWLYH RYHUFRQVXPSWLRQ DQG VRFLDO LQHTXLW RU DOORZ LWV we need to outline urban growth boundaries.
citizens to live within their fair share of the earth’s resources without
giving up on a preferred lifestyle. The solutions may not be easy
to implement but they do exist. It is believed that with the current
technology and systems, we could half our energy consumption,
water use and the waste we produce. Real solutions are within our
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grasp and have the potential to create a path towards social, economic
Sustainable Urbanism can be described as an integration of
and environmental sustainability. We have to learn from the failures
ZDONDEOH DQG WUDQVLW GULYHQ XUEDQLVP DORQJ ZLWK HI¿FLHQW EXLOGLQJV
and success of existing cities and develop a grand and bold vision to
and infrastructure .In the end, sustainable urbanism also makes for
tackle the impending urbanization. We have described some ideas
D EHWWHU TXDOLW RI OLIH DQG D KHDOWKLHU FRPPXQLW :H EHOLHYH WKH
we need to adapt to turn cities into opportunities in this journal.
principles of sustainable urbanism offer a win-win solution towards
a society that caters to the social and economic needs of the society
as well as preserves the earth’s ecological balance.

5. Page | 4 www.theurbanvision.com
infrastructure, density and characteristics of the built environment.
Urban Form is key to Lynch (1981) considers basic dimensions for the performance dimensions of
the spatial form of a city. These are:
Sustainability
Nidhi Batra
1.How settlement form affects human sense,
7KH GHJUHH WR ZKLFK WKH VHWWOHPHQW IRUP ¿WV WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI SHRSOH
3.How able people are to access activities, services etc, and
4.How much control people have over services/ activities/ spaces etc.
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timated that based on the current pattern of development with
Urban form has two principal alternatives.
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peripheral development and of urbanized land- the built up area $ ORZ GHQVLW GLVSHUVHG XUEDQ IRUP RIWHQ GHSHQGHQW RQ $XWRPRELOH
RI WKH GHYHORSLQJ FRXQWU FLWLHV ZLOO LQFUHDVH IURP VTNP
WR VTNP LQ 7KH UHDOLW RI WKLV µSUHVVXUH¶ RI GH-
velopment is directly going to be on the resources that our cities ,I RX SODQ FLWLHV IRU FDUV DQG WUDI¿F RX JHW FDUV
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This ‘Sustainable Ecological Urbanism’ observes cities as
µ6VWHPV¶ $W SUHVHQW WKH FLW VVWHP LV µSDUDVLWLF¶ WKDW GLVUXSWV get people and places. - Fred Kent
WKH QDWXUDO HDUWK DQG LW SURGXFHV D GHWHULRUDWLQJ TXDOLW RI
life for all inhabitants. Cities are not self-sustaining resource Compact high density mixed use transit driven urban form
systems like natural eco-system. The land area of cities 7KH HQYLURQPHQWDO EHQH¿WV RI D FRPSDFW XUEDQ IRUP DUH VHHQ WR LQFOXGH
comprise only a tiny fraction (typically much less than 1%) reduced energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions following a lesser
RI WKH WRWDO DUHD RI SURGXFWLYH HFRVVWHP UHTXLUHG WR VXVWDLQ demand for polluting modes of travel ( read private car) , reduced pres-
the needs of urban human population (Source: Bill Rees). VXUH RQ JUHHQ¿HOG VLWHV DQG JUHDWHU XVH RI PRUH HI¿FLHQW WHFKQRORJLHV
However, the solution still lies in this city-system where 7KH SURPXOJDWHG VRFLDO EHQH¿WV RI D FRPSDFW XUEDQ IRUP LQFOXGH D
cities need to optimize their production, resilience and greater availability of housing that meets peoples’ needs in a sustainable
expansion metabolism through spatial rearrangements. Each ZD LQFUHDVHG DFFHVV WR VHUYLFHV DQG IDFLOLWLHV OHDGLQJ WR EHWWHU TXDO-
city has a different pattern of energy use which cumulatively ity urban environments. Mixed land use is the most sustainable type
creates the city’s metabolism. These patterns are associated of urban use, in that it increases the viability of services and transport
with economic development but more importantly with provision supported by high residential density. Mixed land use in this
forms of urbanism and other city building approaches. context refers to the intermingling of land uses to ease access and reduce
City’s infrastructure, physical layout and urban forms travel. Economically, it is argued that a compact urban form can lead to
give structure to urban energy and the CO2 metabolism new business formation and innovation, which also attracts new residents
of not just day to day but over the life cycle of the city. Decentralized, low density sprawled urban form
Sustainable urban form implies an inter-linkage of Sprawl not only creates higher per capita cost of providing utilities, services,
sound environmental, social and economic founda- and infrastructure to residents ; but often creates auto dependent communi-
tions. It considers the principal elements of ur- WLHV WKXV LQFUHDVLQJ UHOLDQFH RQ IRVVLO IXHO GULYHQ HFRQRP $FFRUGLQJ WR
ban form - land use patterns, position/ transport

6. Page | 5 www.theurbanvision.com
estimates, the resident of a high-density Dutch city produces 10 tonnes need to evolve urban form through participatory methods with stress
of carbon dioxide pollution a year, compared with 20 tonnes produced on environment resource management, community development etc.
by an auto centric north american resident in a standard low-density city. Conclusion
There can never be a generalized blue print for a urban form towards
“In developing-world cities, most of people PDNLQJ RXU FLWLHV VXVWDLQDEOH DQG OLYDEOH $OO HIIRUWV ZRXOG EH ODGHQ
don’t have cars, so when you construct a good in planning, design, form, technology, infrastructure layout, business
models, management, partnership and behavior. These solutions
sidewalk, you are constructing equality. A side- DUH WR EH HYROYHG NHHSLQJ LQ PLQG WKH VSHFL¿FLW RI RXU RZQ FLWLHV
walk is a symbol of equality” Enrique Penalosa Important lesson can be learnt from the case example of Curitiba.
Curitiba: Not just about Bus Transit System
Evolving Sustainable Urban form for Indian Cities The sustainable form of Curitiba has evolved due to its own realities.
Historic Indian cities were compact, pedestrianised, mixed Cited in the book by Jeb Brugmann – Urban Revolution is one such epi-
use developments that at present are under threat of decay due VRGH RI HYROYHPHQW RI WKH FLW ,W FLWHV WKH HFRORJLFDO ÀRRG FRQWURO VVWHP
to poor management and lack of infrastructure. Compact cit- of Barigui River in the city where ecological methods were incorporated
ies are not new to the Indian mind, but for compact cities are GXH WR ODFN RI DYDLODEOH IXQGV UHTXLUHG IRU D FRQFUHWL]LQJ DSSURDFK DQG
to deliver sustainable outcomes, they have to be well managed. LQVWHDG HYROYLQJ SURWHFWHG ULYHU FRUULGRUV IRUPLQJ FKDLQ RI ÀRRG ZDWHU
It is blatantly clear that simply increasing densities and mixing uses collection basins with chains of lakhs and percolating water through a
ZLOO QRW OHDG WR VXVWDLQDEOH RXWFRPHV +LJK TXDOLW LQIUDVWUXFWXUH ‘graveled’ park. The initiative though was towards controlling major
needs to be provided, public transport needs to be well managed, af- ÀRRGV LQ WKH FLW LW ZDV OLQNHG RQH E RQH OLNH D WKUHDG WR YDULRXV RWKHU
fordable and reliable, noise and air pollution have to be maintained dimensions. The graveled park and chains of lakes served as necessary
at acceptable standards, basic services such as water, drainage and RSHQ VSDFHV UDLVLQJ WKH OHYHO RI JUHHQ VSDFH SHU SHUVRQ IURP WKHQ VT
electricity need to be provided, and levels of public facilities such IW SHU SHUVRQ WR VTIW LQ V )XUWKHU WKH ZKROH VSLQH ZDV XWLOL]HG
as health care and education have to be appropriate for the high for more participatory activities such as waste collection, encouraging
numbers of city dwellers. Furthermore, urban environments have to use of public transit system, recreational development, participatory
be kept clean, safe and ‘livable’. Even in developed countries that developments wherein the children of nearby slums took management
have good basic infrastructure, these standards are hard to achieve; in DFWLYLWLHV E WKHPVHOYHV LQ WKLV VSLQH $V D UHVXOW WKH GHYHORSPHQW
GHYHORSLQJ FRXQWULHV LW PD EH PRUH FKDOOHQJLQJ $V %XUJHVV VWDWHV evolved with multiple complimentary purposes as a ‘Recreational-
‘High demographic growth, low levels of economic development, high Social-Cultural-Educational-Ecological-Disaster Management System’.
LQFRPH LQHTXDOLWLHV VPDOO XUEDQ EXGJHWV DQG VKRUWDJHV RI HQYLURQ-
mental infrastructure, shelter and basic services have a critical effect
RQ GHQVL¿FDWLRQ SROLFLHV DQG WKH HIIHFWLYHQHVV RI SROLF LQVWUXPHQWV¶
7KH TXHVWLRQ WKHUHIRUH LV WRZDUGV ¿QGLQJ WKH VXVWDLQDEOH XUEDQ IRUP
IRU ,QGLDQ FLWLHV :KHQHYHU XUEDQ FRPSDFWLRQ DQG LQWHQVL¿FDWLRQ LV
not a solution, with Indian cites of high density, high urbanization
rate, high proportions of informal developments, lack of infrastructure
DQG XUEDQ PDQDJHPHQW SUREOHPV PLJKW ¿QG D VROXWLRQ LQ µ3ROFHQWULF
City’ or the ‘Linear Transport Oriented’ model. Further all cites shall

7. Page |6 www.theurbanvision.com
Sustainable buildings:
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FRQVWUXFWLRQ WHFKQLTXHV HIIHFWLYH EXLOGLQJ VVWHPV DQG WDNLQJ
advantage of renewable energy supplies. It is a process which
must be integrated into every phase of the construction project,
T he construction industry is said to take up more from the beginning to end. To achieve true environmentally
sensitive architecture, eco-friendly ideas need to be supported
than half of the world’s energy. We may not be able to see it - but
the damages from cooling our buildings, illuminating and run- by everyone involved in the process from design to construction.
ning the buildings or the energy used in production of building The awareness about effects of green-house gases
materials are starting to put a dent onto the earth’s atmosphere. and carbon footprints, which are prominent by-products of modern
In India, statistics illustrate that about 20 to 25 percent living, have given the essential push towards developing technolo-
of the total national energy demand is owed to manufacturing gies that will not only reduce the strain our buildings put on the en-
PDWHULDOV UHTXLUHG LQ WKH EXLOGLQJ VHFWRU ZKLOH DQRWKHU SHU- vironmental resources but will also help put our ecosystem closer
cent goes into the running needs of the building. The Ministry of to its original state. There are some excellent prototypes of high
Power research points out that about 20 to 25 percent of the total HI¿FLHQF EXLOGLQJV WKDW FDQ FRH[LVW LQ WKHLU HQYLURQPHQW ZLWKRXW
electricity utilized in government buildings in India is wasted due LPSDLULQJ LW ZKLOH SURYLGLQJ EHWWHU TXDOLW RI OLIH IRU WKHLU UHVLGHQWV
to unproductive design features of buildings, whose fallout in an Organizations like IGBC (Indian Green building Council)
DQQXDO HQHUJ UHODWHG ¿QDQFLDO ORVV LV RI DERXW ELOOLRQ 5XSHHV /((' 5DWLQJ 6VWHPV DQG 7(5,´V *5,+$ DUH DLPHG WRZDUGV
PLOOLRQ 86'

8. $V WKH ZRUOG HQWHUV DQ HUD ZKHUH HQHUJ IXHO driving making green of buildings. IGBC’s Green SEZ Rating
wood and other natural resources become increasingly scarce; System which is in addition to IGBC Green Homes and IGBC
we are being consistently pushed to act in a responsible manner. Factory Building are steps in right direction for the sustainable
This reality has made forward looking cities highly futures of India’s large scale built environment. The develop-
conscious of long term adaptability of modern structures. ‘Sustain- ment authorities in India like MCGM (Municipal Corporation
DEOH EXLOGLQJV¶ LV WKH WHUP SRSXODUL]HG DV WKH UHVXOW RI WKHLU TXHVW of Greater Mumbai) are taking some steps towards their sustain-
to create structures that do not create a drain on our eco system able futures. Their initiative –‘Eco-housing’ is developed to
beyond its capacity and thereby make our structures sustainable promote environmentally conscious developments in the city.
LQ WKH ORQJ WHUP 7KH WHUP KDV EHHQ XVHG ZLWK YDULQJ GH¿QLWLRQV These initiatives promote green technologies like use of solar
context and scope but its importance is being noted across the world. power, wind power, green roofs, passive design strategies, energy
7R VXP XS DQ µHFRVHQVLWLYH¶ EXLOGLQJ LQÀLFWV PLQLPDO IRRWSULQW HI¿FLHQW PDWHULDOV DQG HI¿FLHQW EXLOGLQJ VVWHPV DQG VWXGLHV VXJ-
RQ WKH HQYLURQPHQW ZKLOH HQKDQFLQJ XVHU FRPIRUW DQG HI¿FLHQF % gest they have been effectively reducing the carbon footprints of
logically applying design principles that capture natural breezes and the buildings. The interest in such technologies around the world has
the sun’s energy and light- energy uses in buildings can be reduced led to a lot of research and out of the box design ideas which we
FRQVLGHUDEO $ EXLOGLQJ WKDW LV VXVWDLQDEOH KDUYHVWV OLJKW DLU DQG must call attention to and may be use according their applicability.
ZDWHU E XVLQJ YDULRXV GHVLJQ WHFKQLTXHV 7KHUHIRUH HQYLURQPHQWDOO Some of the best known solutions in this area are in solar energy
friendly architecture tries to optimize the performance of a build- which could be easily used to become part of our daily life. New
ing, preserves and protects important resources like water, land, solar cells are developed which are thin, colored, translucent and
and energy. This is accomplished through an integrated approach ÀH[LEOH KDYH EHHQ GHYHORSHG E LQVWLWXWHV OLNH µ(FROH 3ROWHFKQLTXH

9. Page | 7 www.theurbanvision.com
fédéral de Lausanne’. These solar cells are used to make proto-
types for innovative functions like solar walls, solar refrigerators
Delivering Sustainability in Mass
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availability of sunlight in India and the shortages in our power in-
Housing
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frastructure, especially in distribution, make solar energy an attrac-
age of housing units in India is expected to further shoot up to
tive option in making our buildings more livable and self-reliant.
80 million units between 2007 and 2012. Over 90 percent of this
“Biomimetic” or “Regenerative” architecture, though at nascent
housing demand is from low-income families. This crisis demands
stages, is another very promising idea which essentially aims at
a revolutionary response from the government.Nonetheless, even
PDNLQJ EXLOGLQJV IXQFWLRQ OLNH HFRVVWHPV %LRPLPHWLF $UFKLWHF-
with such high demands in the sector, the market driven private sec-
ture applies insights from nature to the built environment which
tor has not yet found it attractive to create affordable social housing
VRPHWLPHV WUDQVODWHV LQWR PLPLFNLQJ VSHFL¿F IXQFWLRQV RI RUJDQLVPV
due to sky high urban land costs and other systemic problems like
or their habitats. In other cases some buildings are conceived as
XQDYDLODELOLW RI KRPH ¿QDQFH WR KRPH DVSLUHUV LQ WKLV VHJPHQW
closed-loop ecosystems that, like a forest, draw their energy from
In the last couple of years there has been some level of activity in the area
the elements and produce zero net waste. Institutes like International
of developing affordable housing sector from the private sector that have
/LYLQJ %XLOGLQJ ,QVWLWXWH DUH GRLQJ D QRWDEOH MRE LQ WKLV ¿HOG %LR-
started to engage with the idea of “opportunity that lies at the bottom of
PLPHWLF $UFKLWHFWXUH LV VHHQ DV D VLJQL¿FDQW IRUFH WKDW PD FKDQJH
the pyramid”. Habitats Group is one such case in point. The development
the way we see our built environment. The aim of this methodol-
group aims to shape communities that will be a catalyst towards a positive
ogy is to ultimately have a built environment that works not as a
social and economic change by delivering market driven mass affordable
foil for nature, but be as seamlessly integrated with it as possible.
housing. Over the last 3 years they have experimented and worked on
The next concept creating waves in green building design is
mass housing projects in North Mumbai. They were also the pioneers
‘urban farming’, i.e. utilizing unused land in urban areas to
who experimented on the ideal design of a small apartment units along
grow herb fruits and vegetables for local consumption. Some
ZLWK JOREDO FRQVXOWLQJ ¿UP 0RQLWRU *URXS ZKHUH WKH VHW XS WKH SLORW
designers have taken this one step further by using vertical
small apartment .The next step of investment and research in the group
and horizontal surfaces of buildings for urban farming. They
is focused on sustainability and livability of mass housing. They are aim-
are also developing green roofs into urban farms thus reduc-
ing to develop mass replicable models that create better internal living
ing heat island effect and also alleviating the food shortage.
spaces as well as a pleasant outdoor environment for social interaction.
Though many of these new concepts are at an experimental
6XVWDLQDEOH PDVV KRXVLQJ GHVLJQ UHTXLUHV D KROLVWLF DSSURDFK ZLWK D IRFXV
stage, they are all products of painstaking research by institutes
on multiple disciplines. New frontiers in structural design, sustainable
from around the world. Combined together they do provide a
architectural principles, community planning and construction manage-
platter full of options for the designers and planners of modern
ment ideas have to be embraced especially with reference to scale. “We
,QGLDQ FLWLHV $V ZH SURFHHG WR EXLOG WKHVH VWUXFWXUHV PDQ RI
are aiming to create replicable strategies that not only aid well-being of
whom could be our legacy for the centuries to come, we hope we
the resident but also reinforce local and regional ecological health. We are
can do so while keeping our societies debt-free from their ecosystem.
attempting to understand ideas that can make “mass-scale” sustainable,
pleasant humane. “says Chairman , Prashant Choksey , Habitats Group.

10. Page | 8 www.theurbanvision.com
Sustainable Infrastructure
Ritu Kruthika
UHTXLUHV 1RW ORQJ DJR PRVW RI RXU FLWLHV ZHUH VHOI VXI¿FLHQW LQ PHHW-
ing their water needs from the existing water bodies to supply water to
urban areas. Today these water bodies have completely disappeared due
to encroachment and other hazards. The local governing bodies have
EHHQ VWUHWFKHG WR WKHLU OLPLWV WR ¿QG ZDWHU IRU WKH JURZLQJ XUEDQ SRSXOD-
Today, majority of the urban activities rely on infrastructure tions. Groundwater in all cities alike has been exploited to the maximum
such as power, telecom, roads, water supply, mass transporta- possible extent by the government as well as the private parties. With
tion, solid waste management and sanitation for their ef- cities expanding further away from the water source it is predicted that
¿FLHQF ,W LV HYLGHQW WKDW JRRG LQIUDVWUXFWXUH KDV EHFRPH DQ water is going to be a very expensive commodity in the near future.
important contributor in development and smooth running of any city. The International Hydrological Programme, a UNESCO initiative, noted:
,Q PRGHUQ FLWLHV LQIUDVWUXFWXUH FDQ EH FODVVL¿HG LQWR +DUG DQG 6RIW LQIUD- ³,W LV UHFRJQL]HG WKDW ZDWHU SUREOHPV FDQQRW EH VROYHG E TXLFN WHFKQL-
structure. “Hard” infrastructure refers to the large physical networks nec- FDO VROXWLRQV VROXWLRQV WR ZDWHU SUREOHPV UHTXLUH WKH FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI
essary for the functioning of a modern industrial nation, whereas “soft” FXOWXUDO HGXFDWLRQDO FRPPXQLFDWLRQ DQG VFLHQWL¿F DVSHFWV *LYHQ WKH
LQIUDVWUXFWXUH UHIHUV WR DOO WKH LQVWLWXWLRQV ZKLFK DUH UHTXLUHG WR PDLQWDLQ increasing political recognition of the importance of water, it is in the
the economic, cultural, health and social standards of a country, such as area of sustainable freshwater management that a major contribution
WKH ¿QDQFLDO VVWHP WKH HGXFDWLRQ VVWHP WKH KHDOWK FDUH VVWHP WKH VV- WR DYRLGVROYH ZDWHUUHODWHG SUREOHPV LQFOXGLQJ IXWXUH FRQÀLFWV FDQ
tem of government and law enforcement, as well as emergency services. EH IRXQG´(PHUJLQJ LWLHV DUH TXHVWLRQLQJ WKH HFRORJLFDO DQG ¿QDQFLDO
In emerging Indian cities providing basic services such as water sup- sustainability of big-pipe water, storm water, and sewer systems and are
ply, sanitation, waste management, public transportation particularly searching for “lighter footprint” more sustainable solutions. Pilot projects
to the urban poor are central to promoting environmentally sustainable are being built that use, treat, store, and reuse water locally and that build
GHYHORSPHQW DQG DQ LPSURYHG TXDOLW RI OLIH LQ H[SDQGLQJ FLWLHV XU- distributed designs into restorative hydrology. Rainwater harvesting is be-
rently, in India, the urban population has outgrown the capacity of urban ing made mandatory in most of the cities but a more workable model with
local bodies to provide and maintain basic civic services including a wider acceptance needs to be developed to get the maximum advantage.
XUEDQ SRRU 7KLV KDV WKXV UHVXOWHG LQ SRRU TXDOLW RI OLIH VDQLWDWLRQ DQG
increased environmental pollution. The infrastructure is the backbone Solid waste recycling
of any city and the negative environmental and social impacts of poorly Waste management over the ages has been treated as a very linear
conceived infrastructure investment will place additional burden on the process which involves collection and disposal creating health and
current and future generations. There by it is necessary to incorporate environmental hazard. With the ever increasing population India
sustainable design to make improvements that do not deplete natural over the next decade is bound to face sever waste disposal problems.
resources. This also broadly entails solid waste and sewerage recycling, The Indian policies do not examine waste as part of a cycle of
sustainable water management strategies as well as alternative energy. production-consumption-recovery. The new Municipal Solid Waste
Water Management Management Rules 2000, which came into effect from January 2004,
Water has emerged as one of the primary environmental concerns for failed even to manage waste in a cyclical process. With a major
the 21st century. Many parts of the world are currently facing water chunk of rural population migrating into the cities the current and
shortages, while others must contend with severe water pollution. future scenario reveals that waste needs to be treated holistically.
Demand for water is growing in most of the Indian cities as every urban However the entire concept of waste management in India is miscon-
FLWL]HQ UHTXLUHV DOPRVW GRXEOH WKH DPRXQW RI ZDWHU WKDW D UXUDO FLWL]HQ FHLYHG WKHUH LV DQ LQDGHTXDWH XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI ERWK WKH LQIUDVWUXFWXUH

11. Page | 9 www.theurbanvision.com
UHTXLUHPHQWV DQG WKH VRFLDO GLPHQVLRQV :DVWH FDQ EH ZHDOWK ZKLFK KDV In the coming years an integrated approach to sewerage disposal
tremendous potential not only for generating livelihoods for the urban can lower the costs by connecting sewerage to waste water treat-
poor but can also enrich the earth through composting and recycling ment. Where in user fees for capital plus operations and mainte-
rather than spreading pollution as has been the case. The waste from nance would be included in the project cost and approval process
various sectors like domestic waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste, where the rich actually pay for these services. The options of
and others must be separated at source and must be sensibly sent to the on-site and off-site waste water treatment plans must be considered with
right place for recycling. One of the major challenges that India will face UHVSHFW WR WKH SRSXODWLRQ GHQVLW DQG UHTXLUHPHQWV 5HXVLQJ JUH ZDWHU
in the coming decade will be to educate and ensure that Industries and the IRU ÀXVKLQJ JDUGHQLQJ RU LUULJDWLRQ SXUSRVHV PXVW DOVR EH FRQVLGHUHG
domestic households to dispose waste sensibly. The future calls in for
LQWHJUDWHG VROLG ZDVWH PDQDJHPHQW $Q QHZ LGHDV WKDW HPHUJH VKRXOG Alternative energy
include a cradle-to-grave approach with responsibility being shared by
many stakeholders, including product manufacturers, consumers and com- India is facing a large demand-supply gap in Energy with average energy
munities, the recycling industry, trade, municipalities and the urban poor. shortfall of 9% and peak demand shortfall of 14%. This could be a huge
Sanitation Management deterrence to economic growth. The per capita energy consumption in
,W LV REVHUYHG LQ WKH WHQWK ¿YH HDU SODQ WKDW WKUHH IRXUWKV RI ,QGLD¶V VXUIDFH India is in the region of 400 KWH per annum which is way lower than
water is polluted and out of that 80% is due to sewage alone. India today developed world cities. This is going to change dramatically in the coming
has more than 20 cities which have recorded a population of more than years and our consumption will increase with economic growth. It is crucial
PLOOLRQ ZKLFK LQFOXGH WKH PHWURSROLWDQ FLWLHV LQ ZKLFK WKH DQWLTXDWHG to ensure the judicious use of our copious renewable energy resources
sewerage system just cannot handle the rapid expansion. The sewerage such as hydro energy, biomass energy, solar energy and wind energy.
systems were built to support a population of about 3 million in these The Indian government’s stated target is for renewable en-
mega cities and cannot manage the present population close to 14 million. ergy to contribute 10% of total capacity and 4-5% of the elec-
7KH $VLD :DWHU :DWFK KDV QRWHG WKDW ,QGLD LV PRVW OLNHO tricity mix by 2012. However, India still doesn’t have national
to achieve its MDG sanitation target in the rural and urban ar- renewable energy policy which is an important agenda to set forward.
eas. In 1990 a mere 43% of the urban population had improved Some states have incentives for renewable energy through the Renew-
VDQLWDWLRQ DQG WKLV LV H[SHFWHG WR LQFUHDVH WR E $QG DEOH 3RUWIROLR ZKLFK UHTXLUHV HOHFWULFLW VXSSOLHUV WR SURYLGH D SHUFHQW-
in the rural areas it was noted that only 1% received improved age of their supply from renewable resources. This tool is similar to the
sanitation in 1990 and is expected to reach a target of 48% by 2015. Feed-in tariffs that accelerating the deployment of renewable energy in
certain countries like Germany China and needs to be used more widely.
Evidence indicates that only about 45% of the urban population in India has
access to sanitation facilities and there is much to accomplish to reach the
goal of 100% sanitation coverage for all. It has also been realized that there
LV D QHHG WR ORRN EHRQG FRYHUDJH WR WKH TXDOLW RI VHUYLFHV LQ WHUPV RI PDN-
ing use of new advances in technology, use of low cost technology, use of
recycled and more economical forms of user friendly technologies that can
be expanded beyond cities to reach small and medium towns in the country.

12. Page | 10 www.theurbanvision.com
ICT for Ecocities
$QMXOL 3DQGLW
reduce deployment time of the emergency response units. In the same
time the communication network could be use to relay real-time infor-
PDWLRQ EHWZHHQ GLVSDWFKHUV DQG ¿OHG XQLWV :KLOH GLVSDWFKHUV KDYH
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network via handheld devices. Public safety services can also make
The challenge of fast urbanization is opening the way for the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) combined with video analytics
development of highly “smarter” cities, as more and more of its and global positioning services in order to optimize deployment time.
services rely on emerging technologies. The differentiating factor $OO RI WKHVH DOORZ IRU HIIHFWLYH LPPHGLDWH WUDQVLWLRQ RI GDWD VR WKDW
that can make cities “smart” is the integrated usage of informa- GLVWXUEDQFHV FDQ EH LGHQWL¿HG DQG FRQWUROOHG LQ DQ DJJUHVVLYH PDQQHU
tion and communication technologies (ICT) in optimizing the In real estate ICT can help reduce operating costs by using manage-
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services: administration, education, healthcare, public safety, real motion, temperature, and weight censoring, lighting and cooling units
estate, transportation, and utilities. By implementing initiatives FDQ EH FRQWUROOHG WR RSHUDWH DW WKH PRVW HI¿FLHQW OHYHOV )URP LQFHS-
EDVHG RQ WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ WR HQKDQFH HI¿FLHQF DQG SHUIRUPDQFH tion, computer modeling will help in building design and identifying
of these services to the citizen you create cities that are “smarter.” appropriate materials, architectural design as well adherence and
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able system to reach the citizens effectively, to receive feedback, to 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ FDQ EHQH¿W IURP UHGXFHG WUDI¿F FRQJHVWLRQ DQG PRUH HI-
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political decisions in a transparent manner. This will support like congestion pricing. By passing through electronically controlled
GHFLVLRQV PDNHUV ZLWK WKH QHFHVVDU NQRZOHGJH UHTXLUHG WR PDNH tolls, drivers pay more to use more congested roads in rush hours. Not
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8VH RI ,7 LQ HGXFDWLRQ VHUYLFHV ZLOO LPSURYH WKH TXDOLW DQG of the transportation service while raising funds for the public transport.
experience while reducing costs. In developing countries, provid- Utilities can make use of smart grids to optimize water,
ing internet access to the educational resources will increase at- gas and electricity consumption. Smart grids help iden-
tendance, especially when targeting rural populations surrounding WLI ZDWHU OHDNV DQG HOHFWULFLW ORVVHV $OVR WUDQVSDUHQF LQ WKH
the city or individuals who cannot participate to daily courses. measurements towards the consumers can help in responsible usage
Usage of digital content and collaboration technologies will reduce behaviors and improve demand side management. Replacement of the
FRVWV ZKLOH SURYLGLQJ D KLJKHU TXDOLW DQG LPSURYHG H[SHULHQFH carbon-intensive fuels with renewable energy can also contribute to
Smart healthcare systems can provide faster and more reliable services. “smarter” utilities by ensuring they are tapping into endless resources.
Using scalable storage systems and wide communication platform, pa- For the success of a smart city project ICT must be at the core of city
tient records con be stored and shared with any medical unit which planning and design. You cannot manage what you cannot measure,
UHTXLUHV WKHP $OVR WKH FRPPXQLFDWLRQ SODWIRUP FDQ EH XVHG WR LP- and you cannot accurately measure in real time without effective
prove response time in case of emergency services. This is key during ICT tapping into all aspects of your city and aggregating the data.
a time where epidemics are spreading across cities and information of
patient diagnosis is pivotal to diagnosing and treating new patients.
Public safety can make use of communication technologies to

13. Page | 11 www.theurbanvision.com
Citizen Watch: Introduction of an online Intern in the World’s Greenest
Citizen Reporting and Fixing Tool
City – Portland,Or,USA.
The aim of the Young Urban Leaders program is to stir the next
7KH 8UEDQ 9LVLRQ SDUWQHUHG ZLWK D 86 %DVHG WHFKQRORJ ¿UP 6HH generation of civic leaders in India. The program promotes solution
Click Fix and introduced an map-based transparent web report- driven insights and ideas to confront pressing urban challenges of India;
ing tool in order to connect citizens to the government; and make as well as offer a platform for young leaders to work with and learn
JRYHUQPHQW WUDQVSDUHQW $FFRXQWDEOH DV ZHOO DV HQDEOH FLWL]HQV from the most progressive cities of the world. It also achieves one of our
to organize themselves to the betterment of their community. On key aims of Knowledge Transfer from more urbanized part of the world
the website, citizens are asked to report on any civic issue they feel as well as Capacity Building.
needs attention. For instance, if there is a pothole outside your house, The program includes the following elements
RX FDQ FOLFN RQ WKH PDS WR VHW D ORFDWLRQ $OVR WDNH D SLFWXUH RI !5HLPDJLQH RXU LWLHV $ SODQQLQJ 'HVLJQ FRPSHWLWLRQ
the pothole and upload it. Fill out a small form with details like the !$ 2QOLQH 3RSXODU YRWH
address. Issues reported are recorded on a map for everyone to see, Multi City Expert Jury Forums
vote on, discuss. The Citizens can also set up watch areas for their !$ IXOO IXQGHG PRQWK LQWHUQVKLS SURJUDP LQ D SURJUHVVLYH
community groups and local government agencies to solve the civic international “Model” City.
Problem. The aim is to get citizens involved and ensure that they con-
tribute to their city’s betterment and not just sit back and criticize it. Interested in Nation Building?
“The tool is also in essence redistributing governance in the hands of Apply now: www.theurbanvision.com/yul
people and we believe that it allows citizens to constructively work
with the government to solve civic problem. We would also web
HQDEOH WKH FRPPXQLW WR FRPH WRJHWKHU WR ¿[ VPDOOHU LVVXHV LQ WKHLU
community. ” Said Prathima Manohar , Founder , The Urban Vision.
“On behalf of SeeClickFix we are truly excited to have a partner in
India that can bring the social mission of open civic communication Look out for the Podcasts of
and government accountability to a new community. We are excited
WR VHH ,QGLDQ FLWL]HQV UHSRUWLQJ WKH SUREOHPV WKDW WKH ZDQW ¿[HG LQ Building Livable Cities 2010 on
their community as well as working together to solve some of those
problems on their own.” Said Ben Berkowitz, Founder , See Click Fix. our website
Be a Change Driver :
www.theurbanvision.com/citizenwatch www.theurbanvision.com/multimedia

14. Page | 12 www.theurbanvision.com
Next Generation towns which can then translate into a future with multiple networks of
GQDPLF VPDOO FLWLHV WKDW FDQ ERDVW RI HI¿FLHQF DQG KLJKHU TXDOLW RI OLIH
Making of a new EcoCity
Urbanization in India Lavasa, the new city envisaged as In-
GHSHQGHQW ,QGLD¶V ¿UVW KLOO FLW LV D UHFHQW H[DPSOH RI VXFK D
$GLWL 1DUJXQGNDU 3DWKDN 3UDWKLPD 0DQRKDU private participation in city building. Strategically located near
Mumbai and Pune, Lavasa is taking its form on 25,000 acres of
ODQG ,W LV D SKDVHG GHYHORSPHQW FRQVLVWLQJ RI ¿YH WRZQV DQG LV
E YHQ WKRXJK PHJDFLWLHV ZLOO SOD D VLJQL¿FDQW UROH based on the principles of ‘New Urbanism’ and ‘Biomimicry”.
Lavasa is being developed by the Indian Infrastructure major HCC
in India’s urban future, patterns of growth suggest that most of India’s
urbanisation will take place in smaller cities and towns; those with (Hindustan Construction Company), will create 5 new towns in the
a population of less than 500,000 as established in the UN World mountains about 45 minutes from Pune over the next decade. The
Urbanization Prospects. In other words, growth will come increas- master plan of Lavasa was conceived by internationally known design
ingly from building brand new urban centres. This facet of urban growth FRQVXOWDQWV +2. 86$ ZKR FRQFHSWXDOL]HG WKH FLW¶V PDVWHU SODQ
represents a great challenge and a great opportunity at the same time. ZLWK D IRFXV RQ WKH ORFDO VLWH FRQGLWLRQV DQG HQYLURQPHQWDO LQÀXHQFHV
$W SUHVHQW DV ZH FDQ VHH WKDW WKH JRYHUQDQFH PHFKD- /DYDVD KDV DOVR ZRQ WKH µ$ZDUG RI ([FHOOHQFH¶
nism for planning and implementation in India is weak. Cities and towns from the highly revered Congress of New Urbanism. The master
lack the resources, the skill-set and the technical expertise to cope with plan of Lavasa ensures that the natural open spaces are protected,
rapid urbanisation. On the other hand, since these smaller urban centres so that the ‘hill station appeal’ is not lost. Reforestation, green
are in an early phase of growth, they present a grand opportunity to en- roofs, bioswales, rainwater harvesting, utilization of environmen-
gage new, innovative and sustainable ideas and technologies to urbanise. tally responsible material in buildings are a few practices in use at
However, at this point, in spite of the urgency Lavasa. The master plan ensures the adaptability of land uses in view
of their need, new towns being planned by the Indian government of changing market demands so as to ensure economic sustainability.
DUH IDFLQJ GHODV GXH WR WKH WSLFDO EXUHDXFUDWLF SUREOHPV $ORQJ ‘Biomimicry: Ecological Performance Standards for City Building
ZLWK VXFK KROGEDFNV LW LV DOVR EHFRPLQJ LQFUHDVLQJO GLI¿FXOW IRU WKH Private sector driven City Building has also allowed application
private sector- be it developers, architects or planners, to deal with the of forward looking practices like ‘Biomimicry’ principles in city
already existing planning regulations often set by government admin- SODQQLQJ IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ WKH ZRUOG LQ /DYDVD /DYDVD¶V FLW¶V
istration while applying innovative solutions for sustainable growth. VHFRQG WRZQ 0XJDRQ ZLOO EHFRPH WKH ZRUOG¶V ¿UVW UHJLRQ WR GUDZ
Hence the emerging trend of private sector participation in inspiration from the concepts of Biomimicry in design and architecture.
FLW EXLOGLQJ PD MXVW SURYLGH DQ HIIHFWLYH IUDPHZRUN WR HI¿FLHQWO GULYH Biomimicry is an emerging discipline that studies nature’s best ideas
inclusive and sustainable urbanization of India. Private participation in and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human prob-
city making allows India to leverage the full potential of Urbanization lems. Principles inspired from nature can change the way we harness
and make it work as part of our growth strategy in a faster and more energy, repair the environment, feed the world and heal ourselves.
HI¿FLHQW SDFH 7KH FUHDWLRQ RI QHZ FLWLHV E WKH SULYDWH VHFWRU FDQ Janine Benyus - World-renowned biologist and co-founder of Bio-
absorb at least part of the 600 million people that are set to be added mimicry Guild conducted a 3-day charrette in Lavasa to conceive this
into India’s urban centers over the next 4 decades. The government can ground breaking masterplan . The Biomimicry Guild has been help-
also set macro guiding principles of sustainability inclusivity in these ing companies and communities discover, examine, understand and

15. Page | 13 www.theurbanvision.com
Next Generation Ecocities
Masdar city ,Q $EX 'KDEL UHFHQWO FRPSOHWHG LWV SKDVH RQH GHYHORSPHQW DQG WKH UHVLGHQWV
have started moving into the city. Masdar City is planned as clean-technology cluster
designed by Foster+ Partners that aims to be one of the world’s most sustainable urban devel-
RSPHQWV SRZHUHG E UHQHZDEOH HQHUJ ,W LV ORFDWHG DERXW NP IURP GRZQWRZQ $EX 'KDEL
and will be home to companies, researchers, and academics from across the globe.
Songdo IDB is developed on the 1500 acres of reclaimed land in South Korea is another
example of efforts towards sustainable city development with private sector involvement.
Songodo IDB aims to be leader in South Korea’s ‘low carbon green living efforts’. Like
Lavasa and Masdar, Songodo IDB too is utilizing principals of water harvesting, grey water
reuse and technologies to avoid or reduce commute distances.
/DYDVD LV D SODQQHG FLW ELOOHG DV ,QGLD¶V ¿UVW KLOO FLW VLQFH ,QGHSHQGHFH and exist. Lavasa is a brilliant attempt towards creating a human dwell-
ing to emulate nature’s ideas. We need many more Lavasas in the world
emulate nature inspired strategies, with the aim of designing sustainable in order to ensure we last longer on planet earth” She had earlier stated.
products and processes that create conditions conducive to all life. This revolutionary idea attempts to look at the City offering the same
ecosystem services as the wild or natural areas surrounding it. The idea is
³+RZ GR GUDJRQÀLHV RXW PDQHXYHU RXU EHVW KH- to have cities perform like ecosystems, not just look like them. In tangible
licopters? How do hummingbirds cross the Gulf terms , this type of city will harvest resources like water , sun’s energy and
wind. Buildings, hardscapes, landscapes and infrastructure of the commu-
of Mexico on less than one tenth of an ounce of nity will come together to grant the same level of life-sustaining ecosystem
fuel? How do ants carry the equivalent of hun- services as a natural ecosystem. It’s the step toward having building and in-
frastructure projects that not only meet their own needs—they actually give
dreds of pounds in dead heat through a jungle? back to the natural world. The ultimate ambitious goal for the Lavasa is to
How do termites maintain constant temperature create a human settlement that actually enhances local ecology by function-
ing at least as well as a healthy, highly functioning moist deciduous forest.
of 86º F in their habitat through heat and cold? It is a bold goal which can bring on transformative change to our world and
7KH DQVZHUV WR WKHVH TXHVWLRQV ZLOO EH WKH VROXWLRQ WR
actually show the world a new model of sustainable human settlements.
so many of our problems. It is time we learnt about na-
The Lavasa development is going to look for inspiration for design
ture, not with an intention to control, but with an inten-
from the brilliance of the moist deciduous forest ecosystem —animals,
WLRQ WR ¿W LQ DQG ODVW IRU JRRG ³H[SODLQV -DQLQH %HQXV
plants, microbes, and other ecosystems. These ideas will then drive
She was especially excited about implementing biomimicry prin-
innovative design of buildings, hardscapes, and landscapes in this new
ciples in city planning , given that cities are at the heart of the
city. The Ecological Performance Standards being developed also in-
Climate Change Eco System loss crisis today. “Today, we need
tends to assist those native species most in need of help, by attempting,
corporates and business leaders to choose the path less trodden. We
for instance, to provide vital corridors for their shelter and migration.
need new ideas and we need to revolutionize the way we live, create

16. Page | 14 www.theurbanvision.com
0U $MLW *XODEFKDQG KDLUPDQ /DYDVD RUSRUDWLRQ /WG DI-
¿UPV ³5LJKW IURP LQFHSWLRQ RXU YLVLRQ IRU /DYDVD ZDV YHU “BattlingClimate Change Forum:
The Urban Vision ‘s
the Sea Level rise”
clear. We wanted to create a living space where man and nature
co-exist in harmony while ensuring both, economic and envi-
ronmental sustainability. Janine and her team along with HOK Experts urged Indian cities to adopt measures to deal with
have brought this vision to life. Today, we are working briskly the imminent devastating effects of Climate Change in a
WRZDUGV EXLOGLQJ WKH ZRUOG¶V ¿UVW PRGHO WRZQ EDVHG RQ SULQFLSOHV symposium titled “ Battling the Sea Level rise : Lesson for
of Biomimicry at Mugaon in Lavasa. We hope this experiment will developing World Cities “ held in University of California,
be a precedent to many future towns and cities across the world” Berkeley as part of The Urban Vision’s “Climate Month”
Towards Transformative change: New Models of City Building celebration between September 15 – October 15 last year.
Lavasa is part of the family of new model cities sprouting around The symposium was co-hosted by Urbanism think-tank “The Urban
the world that are breaking conventional barriers and setting 9LVLRQ´ *OREDO $UFKLWHFWXUH ¿UP *HQVOHU DQG %HUNHOH (QHUJ
new city building paradigms and ecological standards. Other Resource Collaborative. Speakers included Will Travis, Executive Di-
JOREDO H[DPSOHV LQFOXGH 0DVGDU LQ $EX 'KDEL RU 6RQJRGR ,'% rector of Bay Conservation and Development Commission ( BCDC)
in South Korea. These projects have the potential to be a game 0DWWKHZ +HEHUJHU 3DFL¿F ,QVWLWXWH RDXWKRU RI WKH UHSRUW RQ
changer for our future world and may just show humanity the sea level rise in California; Michel St Pierre, Director of Planning ,
way forward in terms achieving the values of true sustainability. Gensler ; Prathima Manohar , Founder , The Urban Vision ; and Maria.
Lavasa, Masdar and Songodo are path breaking projects which 3D] *XWLHUUH] $VVLVWDQW 3URIHVVRU RI $UFKLWHFWXUH DW 8 %HUNHOH
offer the much needed developmental precedent and action leader- 7KH RQJRLQJ µDOLIRUQLD OLPDWH $GDSWDWLRQ 6WUDWHJ 'UDIW¶ LV DPRQJ
VKLS WRZDUGV VXVWDLQDEOH FLW EXLOGLQJ $V DQ XUEDQLVP HQWKXVLDVW WKH ¿UVW H[DPSOH RI D WDFWLFDO SODQ IRU DFWLRQ E D JRYHUQPHQW DJHQF
one cannot ignore the impact these cities will make on our future to adapt to extreme climate events and sea-level rise. The panelists
urban development and also on professionals involved in the highlighted the ‘California Strategy Plan’ and looked at ways its
city design planning. These cities are attempting to put many model can be employed in developing world cities. The symposium
DFDGHPLF FRQFHSWV LQWR DFWLRQ $V LQ DQ GHYHORSPHQW WKHUH DUH VSHFL¿FDOO DGGUHVVHG LGHDV DQG VROXWLRQV WKDW FLWLHV KDYH WR HPEUDFH
set to be many challenges in making these visions into reality. But to become resilient to the daunting impacts of Climate change.
WKHVH FKDOOHQJHV DUH VXUH WR VHHP WLQ ZKHQ FRPSDUHG WR WKH LQÀX- Will Travis from BCDC, which was one of the key agencies that cre-
ence and impact these projects will have on the future of cities. DWHG WKH DOLIRUQLD OLPDWH $FWLRQ 3ODQ RXWOLQHG WKH XUJHQW QHHG IRU
adapting our communities to climate change impacts and a future of
³/DYDVD RUSRUDWLRQ /LPLWHG LV SURSRVLQJ VXEMHFW WR UHFHLSW RI UHTXLVLWH DSSURYDOV PDUNHW FRQGLWLRQV DQG RWKHU FRQVLGHUDWLRQV D SXEOLF
LVVXH RI LWV HTXLW VKDUHV DQG KDV ¿OHG D 'UDIW 5HG +HUULQJ 3URVSHFWXV ZLWK WKH 6HFXULWLHV DQG ([FKDQJH %RDUG RI ,QGLD ³6(%,´

17. ZKLFK LV
extreme climate events “Even if the world turned off all its power
available on the website of SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in and the websites of the Book Running Lead Managers at http://www.icicisecurities.
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plants, stopped using all its cars; even if we managed to halt all our
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carbon emissions- it’s still going to get warmer for at least 50 more
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years due to the current level of carbon in our atmosphere which will
any state of the United States and the District of Columbia). These materials are not an offer of securities for sale into the United States,
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contribute to changes in our environment including sea level rise. We
amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration. have to start building climate resilient communities” said Mr. Travis.
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impacts of climate change and said “There is a need to avoid the

18. Page | 15 www.theurbanvision.com
unimaginable, and manage the unavoidable. We can expect a range of
impacts to the natural and human environment including storm surges;
SustainableTransportation Key
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erty, economic and social disruptions; Potential loss of wetland habitat.”
to Climate Change Mitigation
The Urban Vision ‘s Climate Change Forum:
Mr. Travis also said that coastal cities will have to think about
building a lot of levies to protect their low-lying zones. Mr. Tra-
vis also called on city and national governments to halt development
The Urban Vision in partnership with Columbia Business
School’s Energy club, Social enterprise club and Green Business
in areas that were vulnerable to sea surges or were below sea level.
club hosted a forum on sustainable transportation in Colum-
Some 360 million urban residents living in coastal zones risk exposure to
bia University, New York City as part of The Urban Vision’s
sea surges as ocean levels rise by approximately 1 meter through the 21st
“Climate Month” celebration between September 15 – October
century. Developing world cities which are often characterized by poor in-
15 2009 leading up to the historic Copenhagen Summit last
formal settlement will be highly vulnerable. Ten of the developing world’s
year . This Sustainable Transportation forum highlighted sev-
15 largest cities are in low-lying coastal areas vulnerable to rising sea levels
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or coastal surges. “Given its vast shoreline, the impact will be especially
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severe in India. Coastal Cities like Mumbai and Chennai will be at the heart
Prathima Manohar from The Urban Vision set the tone of the
of the crisis. However, given the early stage of India’s Urbanization with
meeting by reminding the audience of some facts like climate
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change being greatest challenges faced by our planet and cities
for India to plan for the future and steer clear of developing in vulnerable
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and hi-risk areas” said Prathima Manohar , Founder , The Urban Vision.
sions can be attributed to the cities, and automobiles contribute
Michel St Pierre, Director of Planning, Gensler spoke about the need
to the half of carbon emission. Prathima added that while other
to come out with innovative urban models so that the world can look at
sectors like industry have been able to reduce carbon emissions;
urbanization as the way to solve this crisis “We are reliant on our cities
the transport sector has steadily increased their carbon emissions.
to sustain us and we need to enhance their sustainable growth so that
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they can mitigate and adapt to climate change” he said. Prof. Maria-Paz
rill (SOM) showcased the projects and design ideology of SOM.
Gutierrez, UC Berkeley shared a innovative interdisciplinary research
Earl focused on two main projects: – Tyson’s corner in Fairfax
initiative intersecting architecture and bio-engineering called BIOMS that
County, Virginia and Maytas forest Hills, Hyderabad. SOM was
she founded which was looking at creating new types of human settlements
involved in developing a master plan with a focus on transit for
that were inherently resilient. “The research is based on bio-mimicry
Tyson’s Corner. The plan was to introduce four new metro sta-
principles. Nature has always adapted to the volatility of its own self. For
tions on the site to reduce the automobile dependency and increase
instance – Look at how Mangroves combat storm surges. We are studying
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the principles of nature that can be used in the design of the built environ-
pedestrian friendly neighbourhood for community living while
ment as a way to deal with the devastation of climate change.” She said.
including the infrastructure associated with these metro rail stations.
The design programme for Maytas Forest hills included a spe-
cial economic zone and only two site accesses. The integration
of this project to the Hyderabad city depended on the local /
regional buses, which would enter the site through these main ac-

19. Page | 16 www.theurbanvision.com
FHVV SRLQWV $ PDMRU URDG ORRS ZKHUH ORFDO UHJLRQDO EXVHV ZRXOG ing IBM technology of dynamic pricing mechanism reduced carbon
run was created with the accesses and a smaller internal loop was HPLVVLRQV WUDI¿F FRQJHVWLRQ DQG LQFUHDVHG WKH XVH RI SXEOLF WUDQVLW
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buses serviced the internal site area. The proposal had highest SULFLQJ RQ LWV KLJKZD , ZKLFK LV QRWRULRXV IRU WUDI¿F MDPV
density around the special economic zone to facilitate residences for $DURQ 1DSDUVWHN WKH HGLWRU LQ ±FKLHI RI 6WUHHWVEORJ WDONHG DERXW WKH
people to live where they work. The plan also included watersheds challenges of sustainable transportation in New York City (NYC).
to harvest rainwater, preserved existing orchards and used lo- $YHUDJH 1HZ RUNHU HPLWV RI WKH JUHHQ KRXVH JDVVHV DV FRPSDUHG
cally available material to reduce the community’s carbon footprint. WR DYHUDJH $PHULFDQ EHFDXVH RI WKH ZHOO FRQQHFWHG WUDQVLW VVWHPV
Fred Kent the Founder and President for People for Public Places $DURQ VXJJHVWHG VRPH DOWHUQDWLYH VXVWDLQDEOH WUDQVSRUW VROXWLRQV WR
(PPS discussed concepts of place-making which involved using reduce the green house gas emissions further. Bike infrastructure for
the community to develop public spaces. PPS works on ideas like $PHULFDQ FLWLHV ZDV DQ LGHD VXJJHVWHG LQ SUHVHQWDWLRQ ZKLFK VKRZHG
the comfort, place-making, power of 10, zealousness of public, and very successful examples from Germany and Paris and NYC. Bus rapid
acknowledging community is an expert to develop places in cities. transit system was another successful idea which was used in Bogota
Power of 10 concept advocates that each community needs to have DQG ODWHU LQ FLWLHV OLNH 6DR 3DXOR $XFNODQG DQG 3DULV 7KLV WSH RI PDVV
10 places with things to do, 10 destinations to go to and 10 such transit system was said to be more sustainable than the way buses are
communities would make a region interesting. Fred discussed the PDQDJHG DW SUHVHQW 6RPH RWKHU LGHDV $DURQ FRYHUHG ZHUH SDUNLQJ
case study of downtown New Hampshire where PPS was successful PDQDJHPHQW E SULFLQJ DQG DYDLODELOLW WUDI¿F FRQJHVWLRQ SULFLQJ RQ
in creating a people friendly place with their approach of involving XUEDQ URDGV DQG PDNLQJ VWUHHWV PRUH OLYHDEOH $DURQ ZHQW RQ WR H[SODLQ
the community. Fred introduced some experiments in the presentation WKH VLJQL¿FDQFH RI KDYLQJ OLYHDEOH VWUHHWV DQG JDYH VRPH H[DPSOHV RI
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in road design by PPS have proved to reduce crashes according to lock on the Pompidou expressway, Williamsburg walks in NYC, Sumer
the data collected. Fred also went on to explain the sustainability of VWUHHW HYHQW LQ 1 DQG SXEOLF VSDFH UHFODPDWLRQ LQ 7LPHV 6TXDUH
traditional markets, shop fronts and suggested using green design as The last contributor of the evening was a medical practitioner from
a integrated concept as compared to the specialised type of design. NYC, Dr. Joseph Habboushe who was also working on a new tryp of
'DQ ROOLQV ,%0 86$ VKRZFDVHG KRZ WHFKQRORJ FDQ EH XVHG mass transit idea to solve the crisis of transit in sprawled cities. Joe
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today experiences increased commute time to work which is a non- FLW RI /RV $QJHOHV ZKLFK KH DQG KLV FROOHDJXHV GHVLJQHG $Q LQWHUHVW-
productive time for the commuter. To address this concern IBM is ing feature of this design was allowing the passengers would be able to
working on tools for congestion management which would reduce transfer between trains via while trains are in motion, eliminating the
commute time. Dan explained infrastructure solutions like cordoned need to transfer at the station. This idea, if implemented will divided
pricing or dynamic pricing for High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes. WKH FLW RI /$ LQWR ZHOO FRQQHFWHG SHGHVWULDQ IULHQGO QHLJKERXUKRRGV
6ROXWLRQV WR SUHGLFW WUDI¿F MDPV EDVHG RQ WUDI¿F PRWLRQ DUH DOVR EHLQJ of 10 min radius each having a stop for perpetual express train system.
implemented which would predict a jam up to 90 minutes before traf-
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commuters an opportunity to choose the best available route during
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20. Page | 17 www.theurbanvision.com
Building Livable Cities 2010 to sustainable transport as well; and this is a vital issue to address cli-
EcoCities : Driving India towards the age of sustainability. mate change as transport is responsible for almost 40% of the any
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which are sprawled – auto centric cities typically has an ecological
footprint of 13-14 while a resident of a high-density / compact mass-
transit driven walkable city like Barcelona has an ecological footprint
I ndian cities are increasingly becoming worse places to live of 3 or 4. The session will identify links between urban morphology
in. Our cities are today marked with rising pollution, dwindling and sustainable urbanism. It will outline strategies that shape compact,
green spaces, dearth of basic amenities services, short- dense, mixed- use transit-driven and walkable city development models.
age of affordable housing and a complete decay of public Built Environment
spaces and infrastructure. Building Livable Cities is a multi city Sustainable buildings are a key component of sustainable cities as
investigation on ideas that can make Indian cities Livable. The almost 40% of the energy use is any city is owed to consumption
initiative is an urgent call for action across the nation to push in buildings. In this segment , we will look at ideas that attempt to
IRU SROLFLHV WRZDUGV VXVWDLQDELOLW DQG EHWWHU TXDOLW RI OLIH optimize the functioning of a building; that preserve and protect
$V SDUW RI WKH LQLWLDWLYH VPSRVLXPV ZLOO WDNH SODFH DFURVV FLWLHV ± important resources like water, land, and energy. It will focus on
%DQJDORUH 0XPEDL 'HOKL KHQQDL DQG $KPHGDEDG EHWZHHQ 2FW integrated architecture which brings together passive design issues,
18-22.The outcome will be presented in a book that is scheduled to be HQHUJ HI¿FLHQW PDWHULDOV FRQVWUXFWLRQ PHWKRGV HI¿FLHQW EXLOGLQJ
released in 2011. The “Urban Visioning” Program titled the Blueprint systems and by taking advantage of renewable energy supplies
showcases the urban visions of a number of leading Indian architects Sustainable Infrastructure
along with the revolutionary ideas of global thought leaders. The series This segment will address design and development ideas that seek to
will also be podcasted online at www.theurbanvision.com/multimedia adopt solid waste and sewerage recycling; sustainable water manage-
“Cities hold the key to the age of sustainability” ment strategies as well as alternative energy like solar and wind energy.
The theme of Building Livable cities 2010 is EcoCities - Driving Technology for green Cities.
India towards the age of sustainability which will explore strategies This segment will highlight intelligent city management ap-
that can make Indian cities environmentally sustainable. Today, plications and outline how future cities can effectively
cities occupy about 2% of the world’s surface area and have a use technology to advance clean public transportation, de-
GLVSURSRUWLRQDWHO ODUJH LPSDFW RQ WKH HDUWK¶V HFRORJ $FFRUGLQJ WR crease pollution through intelligent urban development.
the United Nations, cities are responsible for 75% of global energy Green economics regulation
consumption and 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a This segment will look at how economic incentives and regulation can drive
large part of the solution towards solving the crisis of Climate Change sustainable development. For example: The land auction in UK’s largest
lies in solving the crisis of Cities. This national investigation is aimed eco-village called BedZED is a good example. It took into account the
at creating a solution driven blueprint towards a sustainable future. ORQJ WHUP ¿QDQFLDO EHQH¿WV RI WKLV HFR GHYHORSPHQW ZKLOH DXFWLRQLQJ WKH
The symposium will address the following sub themes which land, even though it had other conventional developers biding more for the
are among key components that shape sustainable urbanization. site. The Feed-in Tariff used extensively in Germany is an incentive-led
Urban Form government legislation that encourages adoption of renewable energy.
Ecological footprint of a city is embedded in inherent structure, .
form and morphology of the city. Urban form is an issue critical